Jill Carroll Iraq Abduction

[Tags: Iraq, Abduction, kidnapped, terrorist, News,
Jill Carroll]

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There's a few things with this story that are both disturbing and interesting at the same time. We need not be reminded (I hope) that Daniel Pearl was also a journalist in Iraq, who was also abducted and eventually had his throat cut on tape, which made it's way through the internet and on Al-Jazeera.

Now, we have the lead story on CNN this morning (1/19/2006) which had an exclusive interview with Jill's mother Mary Beth Carroll in which she smiles and very calmly reads a prepared statement, presumably and possibly to the abductors of her daughter in which she states Jill was an "invited and welcome guest" of Iraqi's and who has "worked hard in showing the suffering of the Iraqi's to the world".

Never a lip quiver, not a tear, not a stutter or quaking voice. It was calm, collected and cool as a cucumber. Mary Beth Carroll also asks the abductors to "work with my daughter" on communication on her release. As a matter of fact Mary smiled and laughed about her daughter learning Arabic in Iraq. Mary attests that she is in shock and that falling apart will not help anyone right now, which is a very strong position to take. That "mom" didn't fall apart was surprising. It definitely supports her own admission that she may in fact be in shock.


This was the most serious "mom" looked during this interview.


That she and her mother also spoke about the eventuality of her being kidnapped in Iraq. And also that she "knew what the risks were and knew what she was getting into..." was also interesting.

When asked what Mary would like her captors should know, Mary replied: "That they've picked the wrong person and that her Iraqi friends can attest to that..."

Ok so I'm very sympathetic here, but a few things just make me question, just a little bit, what is happening. I know I have no knowledge or information other than what is currently out in the MSM. I have nothing to base this on at all... other than interpreting what I'm seeing.


Mararet Hassan reacts to being kidnapped.


Typical demand video from Iraq.

Observations:

- Jill is very calm in the 20 second released video.
- Mom is very calm and collected in the CNN exclusive interview
- Very convenient things occurred during this abduction
- Mom admits Jill is very "passionate" about bringing the story of the Iraqi's plight to the world

This is interesting since the current story is, she was kidnapped (probably a stressful situation), her interpreter was killed assumably during the abduction from a "non-descript car" (again a tense situation when seeing someone you know get killed in front of you), while the supposed driver of the car got away and brought the background story to the press. When I compare the other abductions of journalists like Daniel Pearl, there was much more information initially available.

Pearl was arguably a Jew and therefore an enemy of Pakistan. Multiple demands were made for the release of prisoners and the halt of F16's being sold to Israel. Pearl was called a spy.

The only demand associated with Jill Carrolls abduction so far is the release of female prisoners from Guantanamo. This is VERY interesting as both culturally and religiously, Iraqi's care little about their women. Why would they make such a
demand? Women are less valuable then cattle in Iraq - especially to Sunni's. Culturally, women are only important for making babies and doing work. Other than that, little is thought of women in most Muslim countries. Why on earth would these abductors make such a request? Wouldn't they demand other things like America to leave Iraq, or maybe some of their brothers who are jailed, or in retribution for their killed comrades? Even if they were hard up for demands, they could go

back and look up some of Bin Ladens and restate some of them - or maybe something about the voting or new government. But releasing women from Gitmo??

You'd think that all this would make someone just a little upset and tense - yet Jill is one cool cucumber. No furrowed brows, tense lips, wide eyes or usually in these cases we see the captives looking down and away from the camera. Jill's looking straight into it and speaking. She's very comfortable even with armed and face-covered kidnapper’s right next to her during those 20 seconds. While we don't know what she was saying since there was no sound on the video - it doesn't seem to be forced words.

That the Sunni politician Jill was on her way to interview did not show up either lends to some of the credibility of the story - yet something is just a bit fishy in this abduction. Is it possible? Absolutely. Is it plausible? Absolutely. Is it true? I'm sure it happened, I'm just not so sure it happened the way it's being told right now. Is it a hoax? I have nothing to support that stance at this time, yet I'm a little suspicious. Why? Well, all the things I've so far identified - Mom & Jill are very calm and confident. The story is very convenient, and Jill has, by her mother’s words, tried to support and report the plight of the Iraqi people. What better way to show that plight than by getting abducted and getting world wide coverage? Yes, I'm in the "dark side" right now, thinking dark thoughts and looking aimlessly for something other than what we're being shown in the media - is it a stretch? Sure is. But it disturbs me that the usual human condition of being kidnapped, seeing a murder and being held by gun-toting terrorists fazes the captive very little. You've heard the term "people are people no matter where they're from"? Well, Jill seems to be from Mars.

Now I'm the first one to say I'm reaching big time on this - it's just odd. I'm not making an accusation at all - I'm simply observing and interpreting what I've seen today. I am sure I'm wrong - yet were I with the CIA, I would bring up the possibility of this being "staged". If she's killed, as I believe will happen, I will feel bad that I wrote this piece and would even toy with the idea of deleting it - yet, if the Friday 1/20 deadline is extended and she's freed... I will be all the more suspicious and would urge the MSM to investigate further.

Sorry - odd things just don't sit well with me, kinda like eating an entire pepperoni pizza at 1 am - I'll need some tums to get through the night. I'm hoping and praying for Jill and also hoping I won't need tums. If she's really that brave under these circumstances, I'm smitten with admiration.